Wedding day blues?
Last weekend we attended our first local wedding! The bride was a relative of our landlord, so he invited us to come along with his family. He told us, “You should have this experience once, so that you know what it’s like. Then you won’t have to go to any more.” Now we understand what he meant—the wedding was a three-day affair that left us all exhausted.
In the kitchen
The weekend blurs together in my mind, but I remember many hours of sitting around and waiting, first in a room full of women and later in a big tent outdoors. The local music was amplified way too loudly. The highlight of the weekend was the feast on the last day, which is a traditional meal called “wazwan,” featuring 10 different courses of meat. The whole event had an over-the-top feel– too much food, too many people, music that was too loud and clothes that were too heavy with sequins, everyone staying up too late.
And what about the bride? She appeared from time to time, draped in sparkling finery, but looking hot and tired.
I couldn’t help noticing that neither she nor her groom seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Bride and friends
Our landlord explained that the purpose of a wedding is to reinforce the unity and honor of the family and boost their respect in the community. The bride is not expected to look happy—in fact, it would be considered shameful if she or her groom seemed to be looking forward to leaving their families behind to start a new life. Everyone makes a show of tears and reluctance when the time for the bride’s departure finally comes. How do the newlyweds really feel about each other, and about creating a new home together? Most of us have no idea, and anyway we’re just glad it’s over and we can go home and sleep.
Posted in Uncategorized and tagged wedding by Lisa